Moana sequel is set to come this year
By Olivia Flanz
With a live-action remake of Disney’s 2016 Moana on the way for June 2025, fans were surprised to get a teaser trailer for the sequel of the beloved animated movie.
The teaser doesn’t reveal much about the plot, as it is pretty much just a shot of Moana standing on the shore with her boat in the background. The caption of the teaser does say that the movie will be released right before Thanksgiving, November 27th, 2024. In another Disney post, Moana is on a boat following a whale shark, along with various characters in the background.
Image courtesy of Disney
When asked about the sequel’s plot, Disney says that “Moana 2” will take audiences on an “expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui, and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.”
What’s even more interesting about the animated movie is that it wasn’t even meant to be a movie at all.
“This was originally developed as a series, but we were impressed with what we saw, and we knew it deserved a theatrical release,” Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger, said.
There has also been speculation that the show was changed to a movie due to how Disney’s Animation Studio has struggled to produce box office successes since the start of the pandemic in 2019. It is evident in Disney’s most recent animated movie, “Wish” (2023), which was continuously hyped, as it was Disney’s 100th-anniversary film. The $200 million production film only ended up flopping at the box office as the movie fell flat.
In an earnings call, Iger admitted that the Disney Studio has “lost some focus” when producing movies recently as they’ve been trying to get out the movie quickly rather than focus on the quality of the actual film.
“Moana” (2016) produced $680 million at the box office, so it’s fair to say that there are some high expectations when it comes to “Moana 2”. But it’s important to note that there are some changes to who is running the show this time around. First off, Dave Derrick Jr., who is known for Megamind (2010), How to Train a Dragon (2010), and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), is directing the sequel, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote “How Far I’ll Go” and ‘You’re Welcome,” won’t be working on the songs for the second movie. Instead, music will be done mainly by the duo, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.
But some things will stay the same: Dwayne Johnson will once again be voicing the demi-god Maui, and Auli’i Cravalho will be voicing our heroine, Moana. In addition to voicing Moana, Auli’i Cravalho will be the executive producer for the live-action coming in 2025.
Auli’i Cravalho said in an Instagram post, “I believe it is absolutely vital that casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell … I can’t wait to find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit, and emotional strength.”